Hospitals Foundation looking for community support

Victoria Hospitals Foundation kicked off its 2012 Spring Campaign on Friday, May 25, looking for help purchasing new surgical equipment.

This year’s focus for funding is minimal invasive surgery equipment for Victoria General Hospital (VGH). This equipment allows surgeons to perform a variety of procedures with a reduced impact on patients, leading to faster recovery times and more efficient and effective surgery.

Inserting a slender tube with a camera into a small incision, the equipment, called a laparoscope, becomes “the eyes and the hands” of the doctor. Having this option available means that more invasive procedures, involving large incisions and potential danger, are avoidable.

The goal is to raise $390,000 to replace the current equipment, which is showing its age. This funding will allow for the purchase of four surgery towers, which includes the laparoscope and monitoring equipment.

“Patients are in and out of our hands much more quickly, they’re back to work much more quickly,” said Dr. Will Orrom, medical director of surgical services at VGH. “This new state of the art technology will help surgical teams to continue to deliver high quality care.”

The equipment is used in a variety of situations, including orthopaedic, abdominal, neural and gynaecological operations.

The new camera is three generations ahead of the older model in use and of a much higher quality.

“As our equipment deteriorates we begin to see malfunctions in it, or it has to be fixed,” Orrom said. “It becomes more and more difficult to get the level of quality we need to achieve the procedures that we do.”

In 1988 VGH clinical nurse leader Marcy McKay had her gallbladder removed, a procedure which resulted in a large incision, a week-long recovery in hospital and six to eight weeks before she could return to work.

Two years ago, McKay had surgery to remove an adrenal gland on her kidney, this time using the minimal invasive surgery equipment. With only four small incisions necessary, McKay was able to go home the day after her surgery and return to work in two weeks time.

“Minimally invasive technology is the gold standard for patient care,” McKay said in a video shown at Friday’s campaign launch, “and I firmly believe that the people of Victoria deserve to have the gold standard of care.”

The foundation annually funds about 40 per cent of the equipment purchases at both VGH and Royal Jubilee Hospital, supplementing government funding. The foundation raises around $6 million annually.

Orrom kicked things off by personally donating $100 to the cause and challenging his colleagues to do the same or better.

For more information, call the foundation at 250-519-1750 or donate online at victoriahf.com.